News & Updates

1 August 2022 • Weekly Roundup

Weekly Round Up: 1 August

Lisa Cross and Matthew Taylor claimed the women's and men’s senior titles at the New Zealand Cross Country Championships at Spa Thermal Park in Taupo (Photo: Michael Dawson)

New Zealand Cross Country and Track & Field results

AUCKLAND

New Zealand Cross Country Championships, Spa Thermal Park – 30 July 2022
Solid hill training on the Port Hills of Christchurch paid dividends for Matthew Taylor as he outgunned training partner Cameron Avery on the final hill to charge through for the national senior men’s title.

Taylor clocked 31:24 for the 10km, 13 seconds ahead of Avery with Orienteering World Games sprint champion Tim Robertson of Hutt Valley third in 31:44.

Taylor, who was second to Oli Chignell in last year’s cross country championships in Dunedin, said it was pretty fantastic as the goal was to go one better than last year.

“The strength was there, the fitness was there. I haven’t done any races, this was my first cross country race of the season and I didn’t know what to expect,” said Taylor.

He added that the goal for the last three years has been to make the New Zealand team to the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst New South Wales next February.

Toby Gualter was fourth followed by Julian Oakley and Ronan Lee.

Taylor and Avery are both coached by Chris Pilone, who also coached the first and second – Chignell and Taylor – in the 2021 edition.

Bathurst was also on the mind of Lisa Cross as she destroyed a quality senior women’s field to win the 10km title by a wide margin.

After the first 2km lap Cross maintaining her own pace eased into the lead and steadily gained ground the further the race progressed.

She finished full of running in 36:44. Defending champion Kerry White was second in 37:28 and Hannah Miller third in 37:39.

Cross said that it was a matter of keeping her pace schedule on target and focusing on her own race.

“Bathurst is absolutely a goal, I’ve had an amazing career and that would just finish it off for me,” said Cross.

Cross was back in Auckland yesterday finishing first woman in the Run Auckland 10km at Paremoremo in 41:10.

Christian De Vaal was a convincing winner of the U20 8km in 25:38. Cameron Maunder was second in 26:41 and Ronan Codyre third.

De Vaal said his tactics was to put the pace on from the start.

“I go out hard and get a gap which works well for me, and it is what won it for me today,” he said.

Boh Ritchie at 15 years of age moved up to the U20 grade with the view of making an impression when the selections for Bathurst come around.

Ritchie put up an impeccable display of running to win the 6km in 22:16. Defending champion Hannah Gapes was second in 23:07 and Peyton Leigh third in 23:49.

Waikato Bay of Plenty athletes Matt Hill and Lourie Endres took gold and silver respectively in the U18 6km and Daniel Prescott was third. Catherine Lund outshone Bella Earl in the U18 5km with Zara Geddes third.

Oliver O’Sullivan 35-39 of Otago gave a gutsy performance to head in the masters 8km in 27:15. Simon Mace 45-49 was second in 27:24 and Brian Garmonsway 40-44 was third in 27:40.

Sally Gibbs at the age of 59 was first in the master women’s 6km in 23:26. Sarah Douglas 35-39 was second in 23:44 and Karen Donaldson 40-44 third in 24:09.

U16 boys Alfie Steedman, George Wyllie and Jack Erikson. U16 girls Amelia Clark, Scarlett Robb and Courtney Fitzgibbon.

U14 boys Max McGregor, Louay Benaoum and Otto Church. U14 girls Paige Dobson, Abby O’Boyle and Leah Marais.

Inaugural New Zealand Cross Country Relays, Spa Thermal Park – 31 July 2022
Wellington Harrier Athletic Club took out the honours as inaugural mixed senior champions in the 4 x 2km relay. Callum Stewart had WHAC away to a good start with a 6:26 lap, followed by Esther George 7:16, Sarah Drought 7:01 and anchored home by Nathan Tse in 6:24 for a finishing time of 27:06. Lake City were second in 27:32 and Queenstown third in 27:50. Sam Waldin of Whippets had the fastest lap of 6:05.

Athletics Nelson (Josh Fitzgerald, Amelia Clark, Brooke Bowen, Josh Gill) won the U20 relay from Pakuranga. The U18 relay went to Queenstown (James McLeay, Siena Mackley, Kennedy Taylor, Jude Deaker) from Trentham and Egmont. The Owairaka Lions and Roosters team of Simon Mace, Bella Earl, Sascha Letica and Nick Moore won the composite relay in 27:46 from Auckland City Athletics and Athletics Nelson.

Wellington Scottish team of Grant McLean, Mel Aitken, Stephen Day and Bev Hodge won the masters 35 plus relay from Feilding Moa and Wanganui Harrier Club. Scottish team of Roaring Lions comprising Peter Stevens, Heather Walker, Anne Hare and Jim Jones won the masters 50 plus relay from WHAC Team Blue Fifties and Wanganui Harrier Club.

Pakuranga’s combination of Grace Meredith, Alex Wilkins, Zara Pomfret and Ben Oxford won the U16 relay from Craig Kirkwood’s under 16 team and Feilding Moa.

LOWER HUTT

Sola Power Throwing Academy – 24 July 2022
Elizabeth Hewitt 4kg HT 39.17m, Iorana Taufato Tafili 4kg HT 37.50m. Heath Abbot 5kg HT 52.45m PB, Kaleb Sola 6kg HT 50.21m. Kyle Van der Merwe 800g JT 52.00m.

International Results

GREAT BRITAIN

Lee Valley Sprints Night, London, 20 July: Zachary Saunders 200m 21.97 +0.5 (6).

IRELAND

AAI Games, Tullamore, 23 July: Keeley O’Hagan HJ 1.86m (1).

Road and Trail Races Around the Country

AUCKLAND
Fox Trot 5km, Viaduct Harbour, 26 July: Stephen Gilbert 18:24, Adam Berry 18:32, Owen Mitchell 18:36. Tia Knight 20:44.

Rat Race 5km, Takapuna, 27 July: Tom Hanrahan 19:20, Andrew Harvey 19:30, Conan Christmas 20:40.

Run Auckland 10km, Sanders Reserve Paremoremo, 31 July: George Mawson 38:41, Julian Ng 39:04, David Brown 40:33. Lisa Cross 41:10, Anna Bramley 43:38, Helen Kilding 48:09.

DUNEDIN
37th Leith Harbour Free 5 and 10, 28 July: 10km; Corey Lewis 37:54, Liam Turk 41:40. 5km; Richard Campbell 18:29.

Obituary

Tim Chamberlain who founded the world-leading New Zealand Runner magazine in June 1978, died in Blenheim on 20 July 2022 aged 73.

The magazine was devoted to running and was a visionary concept and a courageous one in a market as small as New Zealand. The New Zealand Runner became a major factor in the growth of running in New Zealand.

It reached 15,000 subscribers in 33 counties with Air New Zealand carrying the magazine on all its flights. Runners of those years remember how important the magazine was and many still treasure full sets, as an important research source. The last and issue number 132 of the magazine was in 2005.